


Rain and Smoke

by HarryPotterIsBi



Series: Descendants Works [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gift Fic, Heavy Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:15:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25099768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarryPotterIsBi/pseuds/HarryPotterIsBi
Summary: There was something soothing and lethargic about the rain after Carlos died. The sight of cigarette smoke and light rain coming together was cathartic.
Relationships: Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Jane/Carlos de Vil, Mal/Carlos de Vil
Series: Descendants Works [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948864
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	Rain and Smoke

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DisneyDCOMLOVER](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyDCOMLOVER/gifts).



> Happy b-day sis! I know the present is late, but I've been working on it for a long time, and I hope you're happy with the results!
> 
> A/N: Someone in the comments has pointed out to me that the actor for Carlos de Vil, Cameron Boyce, has also died of terminal illness and that this fic could come off as very disrespectful to his passing. I apologize for the misunderstanding, but I had not previously known of his passing when I wrote this fic, so I'd like to clear up any misunderstandings about this. I meant no disrespect. Originally, I wrote this as Evie who was dead and who Mal had been in love with, and I only replaced her with Carlos because the friend who I had wrote this for is a Marlos shipper. I did not mean for there to be any connection whatsoever between the actor and the character, and I once more apologize for the misunderstanding. I don't want to take this fic down as the same person suggested, as it was meant to be a birthday present to my close friend. Despite any controversies, I'd like to keep it up if only for sentimental value. But if I get enough requests for me to take it down, I will do so. Once more, I give my sincere apologies over this and I can assure you that I did not mean any disrespect in writing this piece.

_Stupid fucking Jane_ , Mal thought as she trudged down the mud-caked pathway through the forest. _What gave her the right to scream and shout and cry at the world when she had hardly known him?_

Carlos de Vil, the son of Cruella de Vil, had died of a terminal illness several weeks ago, and his girlfriend Jane (ex-girlfriend seeing as he was dead) simply would not shut up about the incident. Mal could hear Jane's shrilly voice even now, crying over how much she had loved Carlos before he died, attempting to garner sympathy from those around her.

 _That's the problem with these heroes_ , Mal reflected bitterly.

_They act so kind and sweet to those they consider friends, but treat their "inferiors" with distaste and revulsion. Until a tragedy comes along, and the heroes could pretend that they had given a rat's ass about the people they had hated. And most people bought the act, cooing over how lovely and forgiving their kings and queens were (along with their daughters and sons), rather than focusing on the incident at hand. And, like always, the bystanders and the villains faded into the background in favor of more worthy candidates for the limelight._

Mal wished she could say she had nothing to do with such fake (and shallow too) people, but she'd be lying. Her boyfriend, Ben, was the son of Queen Belle and King Beast. There was nothing wrong with the boy himself, Mal had to admit. But he was far too...plain. Simplistic. The boy was all charming grins and goofy expressions, always sweet and endearing, never less than the perfect gentleman. He had no true substance, no defining character trait. Just like everyone else around Auradon.

Mal had tried, she truly had, but she simply couldn't see the good in everyone around her. All she saw were ugly, distorted figures hidden behind glamours of suffocating sweetness. It made her want to vomit. Or cry. Maybe both at once.

The only ones who had truly understood Mal were her friends, her true friends. Not the fakes from Auradon, but the "Core Four". Each of them held a special place in her heart, but none more so than Carlos. Even since childhood, Mal and Carlos had always been closer friends than considered normal. They'd do everything together, practically attached at the hip. Even now, Mal could picture her mother's sneering face, beautiful features contorted into a grimace, telling Mal to never let anyone close into her heart, lest she be heartbroken. Maleficent had so clearly been talking about Carlos, frightened even then over their close friendship.

Mal had never understood what her mother had meant until now. The heartbreak felt suffocating, pain closing down around her from every angle, an ever-present burden on her chest. Mal had always viewed herself as this strong, unaffected figure. Even the loss of someone close to her could never truly bring down the barriers around her heart. She supposed that was how everyone thought before they had ever lost someone. She now understood how wrong she had been.

If Mal were to have the opportunity to see Carlos one last time, she didn't know what she'd say to him. Neither of them had ever been good at expressing their emotions, as their parents had certainly never encouraged it. In the end, Mal would like to have cleared the awkward air that had gathered between them and part as good friends. They had been dancing around each other ever since they had slept together one night. It had been a one-night stand, it had meant nothing. Mal had her boyfriend and Carlos had his girlfriend. Ben and Jane.

Despite this, Mal couldn't help but wonder what the future could have held if they had been _together_. Carlos would be there to bitch with Mal over small things, to call her out on her bullshit, to comfort her on lonely nights when she couldn't help but miss her mother and found herself crying in her pillow. Mal had always had to keep a façade of strength up around others, and she had never let herself be weak around anyone other than Carlos.

They had a routine every Monday morning, in which Carlos would wait by Mal's dorm room with a cup of coffee and cigarette pack ready for her when she came out of the dorm. Mal would sip on her coffee and sneak in a drag of her cigarette as the two walked in companionable silence to their classes. It always seemed to be cloudy and overcast on Monday mornings, sometimes even raining. Mal had never noticed until he died and she walked to her classes alone with nothing but the sight of gray skies and the thundering sounds of rain to comfort her.

And thus, began her new morning ritual. Every Monday morning, Mal would walk down a muddy trail through the forest nearby with nothing but a cigarette clutched tightly in her fist. In these Monday mornings, she'd wear nothing to protect herself from the rain as she reflected back on her memories with Carlos. No one asked Mal where she disappeared off to every Monday morning.

After Carlos' death, Mal had distanced herself from everyone around her, including Jay and Evie. Both of them had understood that Mal needed space and backed off to let her grieve in peace, but not everyone else was as intuitive. Namely, Ben and Jane.

Mal knew it was unfair of her to push Ben away, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Ben had been making constant attempts to bring Mal to the way she used to be, happy and carefree (as far as he had known). She had rebuffed each and every one of these attempts. Eventually, Ben had given up and distanced himself from Mal. Even though they weren't officially broken up, Mal was certain that Ben and Audrey were having sex behind her back.

Jane, however, was a different story altogether. She seemed to think that since Mal was a former friend of Carlos, that the two could mourn over his death together. The sentiment was sweet, but Mal hated sweetness. It annoyed Mal to see Jane cry over his death, when she had hardly even known him. Jane hadn't even known half the things about Carlos that Mal did. The difference between his fake smile and real smile, for one. His five different tones of voice. His six expressions. What right did Jane have to grieve?

Mal was brought out of her thoughts as she stepped into a clearing, deserted due to the rain. Just the way Mal liked it. It was strange, she reflected, how she had never noticed the beauty of the rain until after his death.

There was something about the hue of gray in the skies and the sound of pouring rain that made Mal's heart ache. Mal took a long drag of her cigarette and exhaled the smoke in the direction of the rain. The sight of the rain and the smoke together was cathartic to her.

Rain and smoke truly were beautiful things, but to Mal, nothing could ever be as beautiful as Carlos' smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos would be much appreciated!


End file.
